Listing Images and Visual Clutter

We’re back with another segment of “get more bookings by making your listings great”. As we’ve consistently said in the past few articles, it’s essential to reel your guests in from the get-go, and you do that by making an attractive listing. You have to get them looking on your listing!

And what will your guests look at first? That’s right. Your listing images! We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but personal preference really plays a big role in sales. If your listing images present a fantastic experience, chances are, you’ll have bookings pouring in.

But how do you make your listing images show an amazing experience? Let’s get started!

 

Equipment and Experience

We understand that not everyone’s a professional photographer. If you can’t hire one, there’s still a way to do it yourself. Your phone should work just fine. As far as snapping photos are concerned, just copy the styles of what you’ve seen on Instagram and Pinterest!

 

Lighting

The way light is incorporated into a room presents the overall experience that your rental would provide. Some people would push to let the sunlight come through for lovely, naturally-lit photos. That’s great to show off the home, but we’d also recommend blending in some pictures of the place in a “cozy” vibe with warm light from sunsets, candles, or lamps.

 

Photo by Rob Wingate on Unsplash

 

Visual Clutter and Space

Hide those cords (especially tangled ones) on your listing images! If you’re struggling to keep them in check, get some cable boxes so they’d just be stuffed in there and out of sight. We could say the same for power sockets, too! Keep them underneath tables, shelves, or if it’s unavoidable, you can buy better-looking ones, but not at the expense of safety.

Clear out your trash bins. The sight of trash lingers on the minds of your guests when they see it in the photos. It also shows you didn’t take the time to clean up before the shoot! What kind of service are they going to get, then?

Cover up distracting imperfections (think wall cracks and uneven paint jobs). Unless you’re going for the “it adds character to the unit” aesthetic, you want your unit looking new.

Clutter is also something you DON’T want in small spaces. To make the rooms feel larger (in photos and in person), you have to get rid of things that aren’t needed. Have all the small things stored in cabinets, drawers, boxes, and the like. Try opting for a multi-purpose or space-saving furniture. This way, you can eliminate unnecessary objects that take up much-needed space. Mirrors are excellent in creating the illusion of space – include them in your listing photos when you can.

 

Photo by deborah cortelazzi on Unsplash

 

The Location

Are your guests coming for a specific purpose? Is there a famous landmark that they’re likely going to visit? Try to incorporate your design to fit whatever that may be. Is the place famous for a certain material? Maybe you could get locally-made furniture to add to the overall aesthetic of the rental.

Are you near the beach? Make the home fit summer-themed! What about the mountainside? Maybe set up some hiking-related décor. But do know that you can switch things around, depending on the season. For example, show the living room with the fireplace during winter and the poolside area during the warmer months.

(BONUS: Landscaping is another important element. Decorate the outside of the home as well!)

 

Photo by Gabriel Tenan on Unsplash

 

The Bedroom

This might be the most essential part of your listing. No matter what your guests’ intentions are, they’re going to have to sleep after a long day. If you have them, show off the high-quality sheets, the luxurious-looking bed frame, the comfy pillows, and maybe a little streak of light peering through closed curtains! Many guests would just like a place to sleep, so “a nice bedroom” is likely on the top of their list.

 

 Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash

 

Your Rental Does Have to Be Genuinely Awesome, Okay?

Many people make listings (including the images in them) look amazing, so much so that they begin to mislead their guests as to what experience they are going to have. Have you ever bought something on Amazon, but the product didn’t really look like the one on the images? Or, when it says “durable”, it breaks in fifteen minutes? Disappointing, right?

Getting guests are one thing, but reviews are also another part of the battle – and frankly, they might even be more important! The more reviews you get, the more exposure you receive on the platform. If your guests’ expectations aren’t being met, they’ll probably not be handing over those precious five-star reviews. Not only that but failing to meet expectations will likely result in you losing out on word-of-mouth referrals.

So, don’t be that misleading product from Amazon! You don’t have to document all the bad things about the unit, but don’t use an outdated photo just to be able to say that your rental looks good as new.

 

Are you thinking of doubling down on your short-term rental cash flow? You can try things out with Shorefront Investments! We’re Florida-based real estate investors looking to buy and sell properties fast. You could be one of our buyers by joining our buyers’ list! Are you thinking of doing things the other way around? Trying to sell your property instead? You can also give us a call at (850) 713-4866, send us an email, or fill a form on our front page!